First Love (Utada Hikaru song)
"First Love" | ||||
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Cover of the 12cm version of the single | ||||
Single by Utada Hikaru | ||||
from the album First Love | ||||
Released | April 28, 1999 | |||
Format | CD Single, digital download | |||
Genre | J-pop, R&B | |||
Length | 4:18 | |||
Label | Toshiba-EMI | |||
Writer(s) | Utada Hikaru | |||
Producer(s) | Kei Kawano | |||
Utada Hikaru singles chronology | ||||
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"First Love" is a song by Japanese singer-songwriter Utada Hikaru. It was released as her third Japanese language single on April 28, 1999, a month after the release of her debut album, First Love. It was certified double platinum for 800,000 copies shipped to stores across Japan.[1]
In a 2009 survey by Oricon, asking respondents what song they want to hear with a broken heart, "First Love" was voted in the top 10.[2]
"First Love" was performed during Utada's 2010 tour, Utada: In the Flesh 2010.
It was also performed during Utada's two date concert series Wild Life in December 2010.[3]
Promotion
The song was used as the theme song for the Japanese drama Majo no Jōken, starring Hideaki Takizawa and Nanako Matsushima. "First Love" is featured in the PlayStation 2 rhythm game Unison, released in 2001.
Track listing
8cm version | |||
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No. | Title | Arranger | Length |
1. | "First Love" | Kei Kawano | 4:18 |
2. | "First Love (Strings Mix)" | Kawano | 4:22 |
3. | "First Love (Original Karaoke)" | Kawano | 4:21 |
4. | "First Love (John Luongo Mix)" | John Luongo | 4:08 |
Total length: |
17:09 |
12cm version | |||
---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Arranger | Length |
1. | "First Love" | Kawano | 4:18 |
2. | "First Love (featuring David Sanborn)" | Kawano | 4:17 |
3. | "First Love (Strings Mix)" | Kawano | 4:20 |
4. | "First Love (John Luongo Mix)" | Luongo | 4:08 |
Total length: |
17:13 |
Chart rankings
Charts (1999) | Peak position |
---|---|
Oricon weekly singles[4]
|
2 |
Oricon weekly singles[5]
|
6 |
Charts (2009) | Peak position |
RIAJ Digital Track Chart Top 100[6] | 89 |
Certifications and sales
Chart | Amount |
---|---|
Oricon physical sales[7]
|
501,000 |
Oricon physical sales[7]
|
303,000 |
RIAJ full-length cellphone downloads[8] | 250,000+ |
Release history
Region | Date | Format |
---|---|---|
Japan | April 21, 1999[4][5] | 12 cm single, 8 cm single |
Taiwan | August 2000[9] | 8 cm single |
Japan | November 19, 2004[8] | Cellphone full-length digital download |
Personnel
- Hironori Akiyama - guitar
- Yuichiro Goto - strings
- Takahiro Iida - synthesizer programming
- Kei Kawano - arrangement, string arrangement, keyboards, programming
- Masayuki Momo - synthesizer programming
- Hikaru Utada - lyrics, music, vocals
Juju version
"First Love" | ||||||||||
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Song by Juju from the album Request | ||||||||||
Released |
September 15, 2010 (see release history) | |||||||||
Format | Digital download | |||||||||
Genre | J-pop, R&B | |||||||||
Length | 4:27 | |||||||||
Label | Sony | |||||||||
Writer(s) | Utada Hikaru | |||||||||
Producer(s) | Akihisa Matsuura | |||||||||
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"First Love" was covered by Japanese R&B singer Juju in 2010, on her cover album Request. The song was the main promotional single, and released as a digital download to cellphones on the 15th of September, 2010.[10] Juju performed the song at Hey! Hey! Hey! on September 20.[11]
Chart rankings
Chart | Peak position |
---|---|
RIAJ Digital Track Chart Top 100[12] | 5 |
Release history
Region | Date | Format |
---|---|---|
Japan | September 8, 2010[10] | Ringtone |
September 15, 2010[10] | Cellphone download |
Other cover versions
- Naoko Terai (1999, violin, album Pure Moment).
- Jessa Zaragoza (2000, on the album Siya Ba Ang Dahilan?).
- Cao Xue Jing (2004, erhu solo, on the album Koiuta Erhu).
- Toni Gonzaga (2006, on the album You Complete Me). Sampled the song for "We Belong"
- Sotte Bosse (2007, on the album Innocent View).
- Scott Murphy (Allister) (2008, on the album Guilty Pleasures 3).
- Ryō Nagano (Apogee) (2008, digital single).
- Yasushi Nakanishi (2008, on the album Standards 3).
- Jake Shimabukuro (2008, ukulele solo, DVD Ichigo Ichie).
- Makoto Hirahara (2009, saxophone, on the album Vocalese).
- Sing-O (2009, digital single).
- Starving Trancer feat. Maki (2009, on the album Exit Trance Presents Dramatic Trance Memorial Daiichiwa).
- Hideaki Tokunaga (2010, on the album Vocalist 4).
- Eric Martin (2010, on the album Mr. Vocalist 3).
- Boyz II Men (2010 on the album Covered: Winter).
- May J (singer)(2013) on the album "Summer Ballad Covers'
References
- ↑ "GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 1999年5月度" [Gold Albums, and other certified works. May 1999 Edition] (PDF). The Record (Bulletin) (in Japanese). Chūō, Tokyo: Recording Industry Association of Japan. 476: 9. July 10, 1999. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 9, 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
- ↑ 失恋した時に聴きたい曲、男性はミスチル 女性はプリプリ. Oricon (in Japanese). 2009-03-11. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
- ↑ "宇多田ヒカル一時休止前ラスト公演で感涙&Ust新記録樹立" (in Japanese). Natalie. December 13, 2010. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
- 1 2 "First Love - 宇多田ヒカル/ オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
- 1 2 "First Love - 宇多田ヒカル/ オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
- ↑ "レコード協会調べ 2009年09月02日~2009年09月08日 <略称:レコ協チャート(「着うたフル(R)」)>" (in Japanese). RIAJ. 2009-09-11. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
- 1 2 "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」". Oricon. Retrieved 2010-09-24. (subscription only)
- 1 2 レコード協会調べ 8月度有料音楽配信認定 <略称:8月度認定>. RIAJ (in Japanese). 2009-09-20. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
- ↑ "First Love (Overseas Ver.)". Yesasia. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
- 1 2 3 "JUJU インフォメーション" (in Japanese). Sony. Archived from the original on September 24, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
- ↑ "今聴きたい!名曲HEY!HEY!HEY!伝説的アイドルの祭典!史上最多30人大集結スペシャル!!" (in Japanese). Fuji TV. September 20, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
- ↑ "レコード協会調べ 2010年09月15日~2010年09月21日 <略称:レコ協チャート(「着うたフル(R)」)>" (in Japanese). RIAJ. 2009-09-24. Retrieved 2010-09-24.